Babine
LakeClick
on the moose on the left for complete BC travel information.

Location:
Babine is a huge lake, and can be accessed by many routes. From
the town of Burns Lake, head
north on the Babine Road off Hwy. #16.

From
the community of Topley (west of Burns Lake) head north on the
Granisle Hwy. off Hwy. #16. This road will take you to the community
of Topley Landing situated on the west side of Babine Lake. By
following this road further north along the lake you will arrive
at the community of Granisle.
Granisle can be more easily reached by travelling north from Houston.

Babine
Lake can also be reached from the town of Smithers
by taking the Babine Lake Road and various connecting roads, northeast
to the communities of Smithers Landing and Fort Babine, all of
which are located on the lake. For precise road directions, ask
at the info. centers, sporting goods stores, local fisheries,
and Forestry offices located in the communities along Hwy. #16.

Size

Data not Available

Shoal

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Mean
Depth

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Max.
Depth

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Game
Fish

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Fish
Stocked

Data not Available

Angler
Usage

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Elevation

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Ice
Over

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T.D.S.

Data not Available

Resorts
& Campsites:
Full services, accommodations, resorts and campsites can be found
along the west side of the lake.

Fishing
Report: This legendary lake contains large Rainbows
to 12+ lbs., Cutthroat
to 2-1/2 lbs. and Lake
Char that are capable of reaching 35 lbs.

At
first glance, this 200 km. (124 mi.) long lake may seem just too
big to fish, however fishing, especially fly fishing is fabulous
in certain areas. The reason for such great fishing action is
simple: Sockeye salmon. By the tens of thousands, these sockeye
come home in the fall to spawn in the creeks that feed into Babine
Lake.

During
the spring months of April through early June, small Sockeye fry
leave their creeks and gather in large schools off the creek mouths.
It is during this time that they become easy prey for the large
Rainbow trout. Young sockeye will remain in the lake for 2 years,
so about the same time the young fry move into the lake from the
creeks, 2 year old smolts start to make their way to the north
end of the lake, eventually entering Babine River and thus beginning
their voyage to the Pacific Ocean via the Babine and Skeena Rivers.

Rainbows focus their attention on the new fry at the creek mouths,
and then as the smolts start their ocean migration, the large
trout follow feeding along the way. Where Babine Lake joins into
Nilkitkwa Lake (which actually narrows into Babine River) is a
legendary stretch of water referred to as "Rainbow Alley". Here
is where some of the very best fly fishing for large Rainbow can
be found, not only in B.C., but anywhere in the world!

Also,
a third component of the Babine Rainbow's diet comes into play.
While it's the fry that starts the Rainbow feeding cycle in early
spring, and the 2 year old smolts that the trout follow throughout
the summer months to Rainbow Alley and Nilkitkwa Lake, it's the
abundant aquatic insects, which includes such notables as mayflies,
caddis flies and two varieties of Stoneflies (Golden-P. perlidae
and a green P. chloroperlidae) which attracts the Rainbows attention
on into the fall. When they start to feed on these fluttering
Stoneflies, dry fly fishing can be undescribable. This type of
fishing is absolutely thrilling and should be experienced at least
once during your lifetime.